JORDI Osei-Tutu didn’t fancy three flights of stairs after 112 lung-bursting minutes against Crawley on Saturday – but was more than happy to talk about a performance he felt was as good as any he had produced in Bolton colours.

The former Arsenal youth product has had to tread carefully in his time at Wanderers, knowing he must slowly and surely build-up resilience in the hamstring muscles which have curbed his progress in recent years.

But a scintillating second half at the Toughsheet hinted at the kind of player Steven Schumacher will have on his hands if the medical staff can guide him in the right direction.

Osei-Tutu had not completed 90 minutes for the Whites in League One this season but was asked to go into overtime as his side searched for a win to keep them right on the shoulder of Charlton Athletic in the final play-off spot.

Tired but pleased with the result, Osei-Tutu knows what he has to do next.

“It has obviously been a difficult few years for me, just trying to prove to everyone and myself that I’m capable of playing more and more minutes,” he said. “It’s always nice to start and finish a game, so hopefully I can get much more of that now.

“You could definitely see I was blowing towards the end of the game because I haven’t had many 90-minute games in the last few years but hopefully I can keep it up.”

Wanderers may need to lean on Osei-Tutu at Wrexham more than they would ordinarily do with so many of their first team options unavailable.

But Osei-Tutu reckons there is a renewed purpose around the squad after the emotional jolt of Ian Evatt’s departure. Time, the 26-year-old admits, is running out to prove that this group is capable of pushing for the Champonship.

“It is just getting us to believe in ourselves,” he said. “He (Steven Schumacher) came in and said we are a good group of players but it's no use people just saying we are good players. We have to show it out there on the pitch.

“We've got to handle the dirty side of the game, which I think we're starting to show really now.

“To come back from 3-1 like that shows some character and resilience. In the changing room we have been trying to push each other, on the training ground we have been trying to push each other. I think every one of us realises that this is the time to do it.”

Osei-Tutu filled in as a left-sided attacker and as a wing-back during the 90 minutes against Crawley as Schumacher shifted formations and looked for a way to win the game.

He feels, however, that the squad built by Evatt won’t stray far from the same footballing principles deployed by the previous boss.

“It's never nice to see the manager get sacked,” he added. “Obviously, on a personal note, he was the one that brought me to the club, so it's never nice to see. But, you know, as part of football, I have been at loads of clubs that the manager has been sacked, unfortunately.

“We just stick to the same plan, which is to get promoted. And I think the boys have really responded well to it.”